Spike-puller.



P. G. CLAY.

SPIKE FULLER. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 30. I916.

Patented Aug. 28, 1911.

attmmw POWELL Gr. CLAY, OF TACOMA, WASHINGTON.

SPIKE-FULLER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented A11 28, 1917.

Application fiIed March 30, 1916. Serial No. 87,835.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, POWELL G. CLAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tacoma, in the county of Pierce, State-of \Vashington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spike-Pullers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices for extracting spikes, bolts, or other fastenings and has special reference to such tools as are adapted for use in connection with railroad and other similar work.

The objects of this invention are to produce a tool which will firmly grip the head of the spike, or other fastening; which can be used either over and across the rail or along the side of said rail, from tie to tie; which has suflicient leverage to efiectively pull on said spike to remove it from the tie; which gives the spike sufficient rise to practically remove it from the tie; and which is simple and substantial in construct-ion, easy to operate, and inexpensive to make.

I attain these and other objects by the devices, mechanisms, and arrangements illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of my device, showing it in use along a rail;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing it in use across a rail;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation of the operating end of my device; and

Fig. 4 is a front elevation thereof.

Similar numerals of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

This device consists of a bar or lever having a pair of off-set fulcrums, positioned on opposite sides of the bar, adapted to engage the ground or the head of a rail respectively, and a tongs hung from the end of said bar by loose connections whereby it may be used when either ofsaid fulcrums is being used, said tongs being adapted to engage and grip the head of the spike, bolt or other fastening agent.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that the bar 1 is provided with an arm 2 positioned near one end and extending at right-angles to it and of such length that when the end of the arm is engaging the ground and the handle end of the bar is raised, the tongs will be lowered so as to grip the spike and so that when the handle end of the bar is lowered (Fig. 1) the tongs will be raised and the spike be drawn substantially entirely out of the tie; and said arm 2 is further positioned so that it can be operated from the end of the tie or from tie to tie beside the rail. The arm 2 is preferably braced by a suitable strap 3 secured to it and to the bar 1 substantially as shown. The end of the arm 2, and the strap 3 thereover, are preferably curved so as to give a slightly rolling action when it is used as a fulcrum. A second, shorter, fulcrum arm at is mounted on the opposite side of the bar 1, and nearer its end, the length and position thereof being arranged so that the tongs may be used on the opposite side of the rail from the handle of the bar, the rail being used as a base on which the fulcrum arm 4 rests (Fig. 2). The end of the arm t is also curved substantially as shown. The end of the bar 1 is preferably rounded as shown and a link 5 passes through a hole therein, said link being of such size that it may be turned to hang from either side of the bar, as desired. A pair of connecting links 6 engage the link 5 and hang therefrom, each such link 6 passing through a suitable hole in one arm 7 of the tongs. The tongs consists of a pair of oppositely formed parts pivoted together by a pin 8 and having operating arms 7 at one end and gripping jaws 9 at the other end, said arms 7 being engaged and operated by the links 6. The jaws 9 are adapted to engage the head 10 of a spike, or nut, or other similar body.

The operation of my device is readily understood from the drawingsz-The bar 1 is turned so that either the arm 2 or the arm 4, as may be desired, engages a suitable supporting surface, and its handle end is raised so that the jaws 9 are brought into contact with the head 10, then a slight further raising of the handle of the bar will cause the jaws 9 to open and they will pass on each side of the head 10; then on lowering the handle of the bar the jaws 9 grip the head 10 between them and when sufficient force is applied to the end of the bar 1 the tongs will draw the spike from the tie.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a spike puller, the combination of a bar having a rounded end and a hole therethrough, a pair of off-set fulcrum arms rigidly secured on opposite sides of said bar, one arm being longer than the other, a strap connecting the bar and the longer fulcrum arm to brace the latter, a pair of tongs adapted to grip the head of a spike, a link passing through the hole in the end of the bar and adapted to pass around the rounded end thereof, and links connecting each lever of said tongs to said first link, whereby said tongs may be used With either of said fulcrum arms.

2. In a spike-puller, the combination With a bar having a rounded end and a hole therethrough; of a pair of off-set fulcrum arms rigidly secured on opposite sides of said bar and each extending therefrom; pair of tongs adapted to grip the head of a spike; a link passing through the hole in the end of the bar and adapted to pass around the rounded end thereof; and links connecting each lever of said tongs to said first link, whereby said bar may be turned over from one side to the other so that said tongs may be used with either of said ful- 20 ClLlIIl arms.

POWELL G. CLAY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

